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 ELECTRIC CURSE
RAVEN INVESTIGATIONS NOVEL BOOK 6
STACEY BRUTGER
The action-packed conclusion to the Raven Investigations Series…

THE WORLD WAVERS ON THE BRINK OF WAR. TENSIONS

RISE, BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN. ONE DECISION WILL
EITHER SAVE THE WORLD…OR ANNIHILATE IT.

Raven has lived on the fringes of the human and supernatural

worlds for years, until one wrong move sets her on a collision course
with a team of trained killers. Being hunted is nothing new, but
when she accidently triggers a curse and the monster under her skin
vanishes, her worst nightmares become reality. Instead of retreating
into her fears, she places her trust in her pack, letting them show
her what it really means to be their alpha.

In a race to create the perfect super soldier, both sides of the war
believe Raven is the key to their survival. When her very existence
places her pack in jeopardy, she’ll fight tooth and claw for the return
of the beast she’s feared her entire life, because one thing she and
the creature can agree on—all that matters is the safety of their
pack.

Only when the ancient creature that nearly destroyed the world a
millennia ago rises again does everyone realize the true danger—
they must either come together or watch the world burn.
This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, and incidents are
either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously,
and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced,

scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form in any
manner whatsoever without written permission of the author, except
in the case of brief quotations for articles or reviews. Please do not
participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials.

Copyright © 2018 Stacey Brutger

Cover artist: Amanda Kelsey of Razzle Dazzle Design

(www.razzdazzdesign.com)

Editor: Faith Freewoman (www.demonfordetails.com)

All rights reserved.

 CHAPTER ONE

DAY ONE – MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

The stench of urine and feces assaulted Raven’s nose, burning
her throat and rousing her from the nothingness of unconsciousness.
When the cold, unforgiving stone floor beneath her confirmed she
was no longer in her nice, soft bed, the events of last night swarmed
back.
She’d been abducted.
Right out from under the watch of her pack.
They would not be happy, especially since she had promised
them things would change.
Raven pried open her eyes, then squeezed them shut again,
repressing a groan when it appeared she’d been dumped on the
floor of a prison cell.
Again.
The walls were rough, the cinderblocks crumbling and stained a
mysterious black. The ground beneath her was lumpy, the dirt
having long since bubbled up through the cracks of the fractured
cement. The soil smelled moist and dusty, the soot creeping into her
lungs with every breath.
She mentally reached for her pack, only to receive static in reply,
and the first hint of true unease slithered through her mind. Magic
saturated the cell and buzzed in her ears, as if trying to crawl inside
her head. The interference must be blocking her attempt to contact
her men. The only thing she could read from the connection was
that they were alive.
It was enough for now.
After nearly dying in the labs, she was more than ready to settle
down with her pack. She was done with pushing them away.
They were her family, one that fit perfectly into her crazy world,
and she no longer believed they were safer without her. She was
strong enough to protect them, and they kept her sane, kept her
from slipping too far into the chaos.
Not wanting to overstay her welcome, Raven decided it was past
time to leave. The last thing she wanted was to wait for her captors
to return. She wasn’t sure she was up for another fight, and
definitely wasn’t ready to endure whatever torture awaited her.
Blowing out a breath, she pushed aside her worry and rolled onto
her back, groaning when her body protested. Knowing she might
need to move quickly, Raven took inventory of herself. While her
outer injuries were mostly healed, her insides remained bruised and
battered from the recent abuse. She gingerly probed the ache in her
jaw, then remembered who’d slugged her…Gavin.
“You’re alive.”
Speak of the devil.
She’d recognize the voice of that cantankerous bastard
anywhere. The same man who allowed himself to be captured and
tortured in order to follow a lead to find his missing brother—and
lied to her about everything.
He even went so far as to take her captive.
Raven pushed herself upright, fighting the urge to vomit when
the world spun. This must be what a hangover would feel like if her
metabolism didn’t process liquor so quickly. By the time her head
cleared enough to see, she was shocked to find Gavin in a cell
across from hers.
“Oh, that’s rich.” Ignoring her clammy skin, she staggered to her
feet, the small chore exhausting the last of her reserves. “How in the
world did you manage to get yourself captured too?”
Gavin glared at her with stormy grey eyes, and she had a hard
time remembering he was the same man who’d been imprisoned in
the labs with her. She wasn’t used to seeing him clean-shaven, his
dark hair trimmed, his rough exterior groomed, giving him a
handsome, almost rugged appearance…if one could get over the I’d
rather kill you than speak to you attitude he exuded.
Very little of the scraggly wolf from the pits remained. Except for
one thing…his wolf was so dominant, she half expected the beast to
spill out of his human skin.
But the ferocity was ruined a little, since it appeared someone
had beaten the crap out of him. Despite his accelerated healing
abilities, blood crusted his battered face. He held himself carefully,
which told her he was even more injured than she first surmised.
The small tell spoke volumes—he wasn’t the kind to show any
weakness unless he was on the verge of dying.
As much as she hated to admit it, they needed time to heal
before venturing out. Neither of them were in any condition to fight.
Right now, they had targets on their backs, and were safer behind
bars than out in the open.
Despite being caged, they were both alive and relatively whole. If
whoever captured them wanted them dead, they would’ve already
done it.
No, their captors had something else planned for them,
something much worse.
“Why didn’t they kill me outright?” Gavin said she was being
hunted by the Cadre, a group of mercenary killers…and he was a
member. She peered around her cell, the sour smell of desperation
and anxiety from the previous occupants so overwhelming she half
expected to see ghosts haunting the cell. “I mean, why go to the
trouble of capturing us both? Don’t I have to be dead for either one
of you to earn your points?”
He refused to answer, just continued to scowl, and Raven
pinched the bridge of her nose when another thought popped in her
head. “Unless they consider you valuable, too.”
Shadows flickered in his eyes, and she tipped her head as she
studied him, knowing she was on the right track—then the only
logical answer hit her. “Your name is on the kill list as well.”
 When he remained silent, she pushed. “What did you do to get
your name on the list?”
If anything, his scowl darkened. “I refused to play their games.
They must have discovered I helped some of the targets survive.”
That was the last thing she expected him to say. “So you didn’t
murder—”
“Don’t make me out to be a saint.” He crossed his arms, then
winced when his ribs protested the move. “I killed those who needed
it.”
Raven wandered closer, rubbing at the static that bit along her
arms, the magic radiating from the walls just shy of being painful.
“And those who didn’t?”
He huffed out an impatient breath. “I helped a few innocent
people escape their fate. If they managed to survive the month, the
contract on their lives became void. Many times saving the people
on the list was more lucrative than actually killing them.”
Raven didn’t believe his sole reason was monetary gain, but let
the matter drop. The reasons didn’t matter. Gavin might be an ass,
but weeks ago his brother contacted her from beyond the grave,
urging her to help him. It was a plea she couldn’t refuse, and she
had no intention of stirring up a vengeful ghost by going back on her
word.
But in order to save Gavin, she needed to save herself first.
She examined her cage. As she neared the edge of her cell, the
magic she sensed since waking flared to life. Sigils were carved all
along the stone walls, the faint glow from the markings lighting up
her small cell. There were so many symbols, so many different
spells, they overlapped each other.
The closer she got to the magic, the more her nausea churned.
She rubbed her arms again, unable to stop the ache resting just
under her skin. It wasn’t an itch, more like she had a severe case of
sunburn.
She reached for the barrier when Gavin spoke again. “I wouldn’t
do that.”
Raw power crawled over her skin. White sparks flickered like tiny
bursts from a sparkler, the small jolts charring the tips of her fingers.
She sucked in a sharp breath and jerked back.
“I told you.”
Raven didn’t spare a glance at the smug bastard, his very
presence annoying the hell out of her. “There’s something wrong
with the magic, something malevolent lurking underneath.”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Gavin snorted. “Magic is just evil.”
“Magic isn’t good or bad,” she protested, but she knew it wasn’t
completely true. Magic obeyed the intentions of its owner—good or
evil.
She edged toward the opening of her cell and peered down the
dilapidated tunnel, spotting small glimpses of light flashing
intermittently down the passageway. She couldn’t see any daylight,
or any people either for that matter. The walls were damp, full of
mildew, and reeking of urine.
Then the ground began to rumble, the air vibrated, the walls
trembled, and small trails of silt rained down from the ceiling. The
clack of wheels on metal was unforgettable, as was the loud blare of
a train’s horn. Lights flashed on and off down the tunnel, almost too
fast for her eyes to register, as a train charged past in the tunnel
next to theirs.
Then everything fell silent, leaving her ears ringing.
Gavin had his head bowed, his chest billowing as he struggled to
breathe. The deafening noise had to be agony for his wolf’s super-
sensitive ears. He stood so still there was no mistaking that he
wasn’t remotely human. Tension practically vibrated off him, his wolf
ready to tear free of its human form if anyone so much as sneezed
in his direction.
Standing in his dank cell, partially hidden in shadows, he looked
more isolated and alone than ever. One wrong move and he would
be swallowed up by the darkness. She’d been where he stood, only
her pack had saved her from being consumed.
Shifters needed a pack, they needed touch, or they turned feral.
A lone wolf wouldn’t last long on his own. Only the drive to
avenge his brother’s murder had kept Gavin sane for so long. But
that indomitable will of his was cracking.
 They needed to get out of there before one of them lost their
shit.
Raven backed away from the invisible barrier, the white sparks of
magic fading more with each step.
But instead of feeling better, the skin along her arms continued
to crackle with energy.
And it kept building.
She instinctively reached for the dragon that normally rested
under her skin, but it felt like she fell into a vat of acid. Energy
seared along her insides, knocking her to her knees and stealing the
air right out of her lungs. She mentally jerked herself away from the
swarm of magic, struggling not to fall unconscious.
“You must stop.”
Raven forced her head up to see Gavin staring at her with
concern, noting that he carefully maintained his distance from the
barrier of his cell. “Stop what?”
“They created the wards to keep you from escaping.”
Plopping back on her ass, she concentrated on breathing. “What
do you mean?”
“Why do you think I’m not tearing my way out of here?”
She resisted the urge to step back at his heated words. “The
magic is preventing you.”
“That’s the least of our problems.” He looked disgusted with
himself, but the dread shadowing his eyes worried her. He’d spent
years in captivity. So why did he look so unnerved now?
When he spoke again, her world ground to a halt. “The spells are
preventing me from going wolf.”
Blind panic clawed up her throat. At one time in her life she
wanted nothing to do with her animal counterparts, but now she
didn’t know how she would survive without them.
Without her dragon, there was nothing to curb her magic but
sheer will. She thought her symptoms since waking were due to her
recent ordeal, but she was wrong.
It was magic sickness.
Raven stared down at her hands in horror. Without her dragon,
her magic would rage out of control…meaning just a brush of her
fingertips could kill.
She closed her eyes, unconsciously reaching to trace the metallic
tattoo embedded in her side, but felt no reassuring touch of warmth,
no sign of her dragon at all…as if the beast had never existed.
Terror pierced her soul, and she frantically reached for the pack
bindings, nearly sagging in relief when they remained fuzzy but
intact.
The dragon wasn’t responsible for the connection.
She hadn’t lost them.
Shaking out her hands, she rose to her feet and approached the
edge of the cell again. “I don’t understand…why waste such
resources to contain us? Why don’t they just kill us outright? Or turn
us over for the reward?”
Gavin dropped his arms and leaned against the wall as if he
could no longer support his own weight. “The people who captured
us aren’t with the Cadre.”
“What?” Raven stopped examining the sigils etched into the
cinderblock and turned to face him again. “How do you know?”
“This is a refuge for strays. I’ve been in and out of here for
years.”
But she sensed it was more than that.
“You lived here.” Raven couldn’t imagine how anyone could
survive living underground, much less keep their animal sides from
going insane from the lack of freedom and fresh air. When he didn’t
say more, she understood. “They were waiting for you.”
Gavin grunted in response.
“So much for honor among thieves, huh?” She regretted her
comment when his eyes flashed yellow, though he appeared angrier
at himself for underestimating them than at her snarky question.
Then the bright glow in his eyes dimmed back to human,
whether from restraint on his part or the spell on the cell, she wasn’t
sure. “You can never trust a tunnel rat. The only one you can rely on
down here is yourself.”
The defeated slump to his shoulders said more than his words.
“This is where you sent your money from the Cadre, isn’t it? Why
would they betray you?”
 A growl rumbled in his chest, quickly turning into a whine when
the magic in his cell flared, swarming around him like a cloud of
wasps, and he slumped to the floor, landing heavily on his ass.
Raven stepped toward him, but received her own nasty shock when
the barrier to her cell shimmered white in warning, and she hastily
retreated.
“If they wanted me to claim the money, why beat you? Why am I
still alive?” When he didn’t answer, she gave up on learning more.
She was turning away when he spoke.
“I refused to turn you over to them.” Disgust twisted his lips.
Raven was practical—his decision wasn’t sentimental, he hadn’t
been trying to save her—keeping her alive ensured his own survival.
“They didn’t turn us over because they have plans for you,” he
admitted grudgingly.
Raven froze at those ominous words, then slowly turned to study
him. It was never a good sign when anyone showed interest in her.
“What do they want?”
He snorted, then bent his leg, resting his arm across his knee, his
eyes ever-watchful. She was unnerved by the intensity in the light
bluish-grey color. There was a new element in them, one more
dangerous than his normal predatory gaze—curiosity. “They want
you to claim one of their men. Once the connection is made, you will
be free to go.”
“Why?” Her voice went hoarse, the idea of claiming anyone who
wasn’t pack was repugnant.
Only she chose who entered her pack.
“Power.” He spoke the one word succinctly. “Once you make your
claim, you will be allowed to leave.”
Her blood went cold with understanding. “Just me?”
His mouth flattened into a grim line. “They will keep your man
here—”
“To ensure that I will do whatever they want.” Raven couldn’t
help the laughter that escaped. “Do they really expect their ploy to
work?”
Gavin lifted his head, his pale eyes dead serious. “It’s a system
they’ve perfected over the years. Trust me, it works.”
 Raven was already shaking her head. “Maybe, but there’s a flaw
in their reasoning.”
Gavin raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“A shifter would never leave one of their own behind.”
“Even if it means they’ll kill him if you don’t?”
That left her at a loss for words. To force a claiming and then
sever it would devastate anyone. It was barbaric and beyond cruel.
“Who would do this?”
His mouth twisted in a grimace. “Vampires. They infested these
tunnels years ago, assuming command of everyone who takes up
residence.”
Raven began pacing her cell, her mind whirling with dread, her
heart slamming so hard against her ribs her chest ached. “This is
just for power?”
Current crackled along her skin, her hands beginning to glow a
pale blue as her control began to fray.
“Not just power. They want to stake a claim on you before the
shifters can. You’re too big a temptation to resist. This is their way
to guarantee you’ll obey them.”
Raven was no longer laughing.
Gavin glanced away, the pity in his eyes making it hard to
swallow.
“What happens if the person they captured refuses to claim
anyone?” Blood rushed in her ears as she waited for his answer.
Gavin pointed around the room. “You won’t refuse. These cells
were created to ensure your cooperation. While the magic might
repress your beast, prevent you from changing, it doesn’t suppress
the cravings. The moon is full. Without an outlet, your desires will
continue to grow. Eventually, your beast will take over and you’ll
enter a mating frenzy. Then you won’t give a shit who they put in
front of you…any male will do.”
Raven shook her head, backing away from his flat, almost clinical
description, but there was no escape.
She was royally screwed.
Without her magic to suppress her beasts, there would be no
evading the urge to mate. Unfortunately, she couldn’t risk using her
magic without the dragon to help her filter it. She was more likely to
blow herself up than cast magic.
The urgency to escape rekindled.
As if picking up on her panic, Gavin got to his feet and stood
facing her from across the way. “You will either mate the man they
select or kill him. You won’t have a choice.”
Raven suddenly understood why she couldn’t sense her dragon.
The beast knew what was happening, knew if the magic couldn’t
reach her dragon, she couldn’t be forced to do anything against her
will…like change or claim anyone.
The beast was saving her ass…again.
While she was beginning to trust the dragon side of herself more
and more, neither of them were ready for the beast to take control
completely.
“To keep you from killing the one they select as your mate, they
will bring him to your cell and have him bite you over a period of
days, until all you can think about is him.”
“Not going to happen.”
But the mating heat was already weaving itself through her
system, and she didn’t understand why. Without her dragon, she
should be fine…right?
Unless Gavin was correct and the spells on the walls were
affecting her in some way.
The craving to touch left her skin tingling painfully, the desire for
any kind of contact almost irresistible. She rubbed her arms, but it
did little to ease the ache. Nausea churned at the all too-familiar
sensation, and she clenched and unclenched her hands as she
struggled to hold onto the last shreds of her control.
“You can deny it all you want, but the symptoms will only
continue to worsen.”
Raven listened intently, and her throat went dry when she
couldn’t detect a lie, a nifty gift she inherited from her pack.
While she might eventually succumb to the mating heat, the
vampires’ plan was doomed to failure. What they didn’t know was
that without her beasts, her magic would return full force, leaving
her unable to be near anyone without killing them.
 She and Gavin needed to leave.
Now.
She studied her prison, then noticed Gavin’s cell was constructed
differently. “They didn’t put as many spells on your cell.” She
couldn’t keep the accusation out of her voice.
Gavin wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I’m not important enough for
them to bother breeding into their group. They’re keeping me for a
different purpose.”
“You.” Her heart rose to her throat, and she shook her head,
backing away, wanting to put even more distance between them.
“They intend for me to claim you.”
He lowered his head, rubbing his hand against the back of his
neck, his shoulders slumped. “We’ve already had skin-to-skin
contact. They know you don’t wish me harm, so they intend to use
that weakness against you.”
Raven snorted then spun away and began to pace. “And it
doesn’t hurt that you’re already affiliated with them.”
His bark of laughter echoed down the tunnel, the bitterness in it
painful. “Only fear and greed rule down here. But if you can get us
out of the cells, I can get us out of the tunnels.”
Trying to decide whether she believed him, Raven didn’t answer
right away, barely able to suppress the panic scratching at her
insides.
The last thing she wanted was to be anywhere near him.
He was a threat.
And she sure as hell didn’t trust him.
But she promised his brother to help him.
Not to mention that no one deserved to be left behind and used
in such a way, not even after the dirty kidnapping trick he pulled on
her that landed them in this hell…yet she hesitated.
“Even if you manage to escape, this place is a warren of tunnels.
Chances are you’ll end up farther below the city instead of
aboveground. They will give chase, release the shifters to join the
hunt, and they will eventually recapture you.”
She had two choices—fight or give up.
 Raven had never been much of a quitter. “Very well. Be ready to
move when I give the signal.”
“What signal?”
Instead of answering, Raven stepped forward, ignored the
prickling of static that bit along her nerve endings, and placed her
hands against the barrier, hoping to drain the magic from the spells.
Pure white light flared at the contact. Fire seared up her arms,
blazing a trail of agony, leaving her feeling like her skin was
cracking, melting the flesh off her bones. She gritted her teeth,
refusing to pull away, allowing the power to roll over her and sink
into her body. Only when she feared her insides would combust did
she stagger away from the barrier, instinctively knowing that she
would never be able to absorb all the magic without burning out and
falling unconscious. She released her hold on her magic, shaking out
her hands, but the sigils on the walls remained an angry white.
If she couldn’t steal the power, she was left with one choice—
fight fire with fire.
She took all the volatile magic she’d denied and let fester for so
long and flung it outward. Breaking a spell created by another witch
was always dangerous, the repercussions possibly even fatal. Only if
she was stronger than the witch who cast the spell would she
remain standing.
The magic resting in her bones answered her call sluggishly at
first, gradually swelling into an unstoppable wave, becoming
stronger with every second, until it tore out of her in a gut-
wrenching surge of blue magic.
Only the pale blue didn’t last, and a deep red strand of tainted
magic from the ancients began to twine around the blue. Without
her dragon to filter the magic, the wild magic she had hoped was
gone, prayed the dragon had successfully burned out, came flooding
back with a vengeance.
Her spirits plummeted while her stomach churned in denial. The
ancient magic must have gone dormant. Without the dragon to
protect her, she was relapsing. It wouldn’t be long before it infected
her entire system.
 Raven tried to pull back, shut it down, but it was like trying to
catch a feral cat. No matter how hard she chased it, she couldn’t
hold the magic tightly enough to keep it from slipping through her
fingers.
To her surprise, the pain she expected from using the deadly
magic never came.
Instead of consuming her magic as she expected, the strands
began to merge into a pure royal purple. The fire in her veins slowed
to a gentle simmer, the pain turning into a pleasant hum. The magic
didn’t fight her, instinctively obeying her command with an ease that
felt like coming home.
The magic hit the barrier and bounced around the room, striking
multiple sigils at once. The sigils dimmed as the magic within them
was consumed, the spell fracturing, the glyphs shimmering before
glowing a deep purple.
Infection.
She probed the sigils gently, but the spells seemed benign, just
waiting for her command. Despite her worry about spreading
infected magic, she marveled at how easily it was to control.
The ancient magic was not at all what she expected.
She waited for it to take over, waited for madness to consume
her.
Instead the power felt good.
With only a thought she was able to pull back the magic, where it
settled into her veins with a pleasurable hum. No crippling pain, no
scorched skin, no incapacitating nausea. The magic sloshed through
her system until there was no corner where the infection hadn’t
spread, and she dreaded what it would cost her in the end.
Magic always had a cost.
Her thoughts immediately jumped to Rylan. A small dose of her
blood had turned him into one of the few daywalkers, a rare trait
acquired by only the most powerful vampires. Rylan was already
hunted by his own kind, and she worried how the infected blood
she’d given him to save his life might change him further.
And worse…that he would come to hate her for it.
 Then there was Taggert. Her blood had turned him into a
berserker, the fabled two-legged werewolf and deadly killing
machine. People were already asking questions, wanting to put him
down like a rabid animal.
Not to mention the blood she used to heal Nicholas when he’d
been skinned alive and left for dead. So far he’d shown no strange
or frightening symptoms after consuming her blood, but she was
afraid it was only a matter of time before it manifested.
In her attempts to save the members of her pack, she’d only
succeeded in putting them in more danger.
She’d been a fool.
Everyone she touched was cursed.
Abandoning them to their fate was out of the question, but she
couldn’t go back when she couldn’t be sure her touch wouldn’t kill
them outright.
A hard smile came to her face—what better way to test her
theory than to break out of prison and hunt down the very people
who were determined to use her for their own ends.
As the magic faded, the ache under her skin came back with a
vengeance. To her horror, she realized that the sigils weren’t a
simple spell…but a curse.
A spell she could break, but a curse only vanished after it ran its
course.
So even if she managed to escape her cage, her dragon wouldn’t
return until the mating heat dissipated.
Raven dropped her hands away from the light purple sheen of
the barrier, staring down at them dumbly, with no clue what would
be left of her once the curse ultimately had its way with her.
“Raven.” Her head jerked up at the hiss of her name. “They’re
coming. If you’re going to do something, you need to do it now.”
 CHAPTER TWO

“I f we leave , they will only hunt us down.” Raven flashed a malicious

smile at Gavin, ignoring the way he flinched and slowly backed away,
her thoughts full of what she planned to do to those who had taken
them. “If we cut off the head of the snake, chaos will reign, giving
us a small window to escape.”
Before he could protest, a splash of power swirled down the
tunnel. Raven turned toward the source, spotting two females
heading toward them. One glided over the ground, dressed entirely
in black, her form all but disappearing into the background. She was
slim and pale, her shimmering black hair reaching past her
shoulders.
Raven couldn’t detect a heartbeat…which meant vampire.
Her captor and the person responsible for her imprisonment.
For some reason, she hadn’t expected a female.
The woman next to her was smaller in stature, plump, and not
nearly as graceful, her feet scuffing along the floor with almost every
step. A witch, no doubt, if the slight overly sweet smell of sugar was
any indication. No shifter would make such a racket.
As if she summoned her wolf, a brush of fur crossed Raven’s
mind. Seconds later the beast sank her claws into Raven’s insides
and dragged herself through the swirling magic, nipping and
snapping at the strands that crept too close.
To Raven’s shock, the magic retreated at the white wolf’s
command, not even trying to suppress the animal as she surged
forward.
Her shifter senses came alive for the first time since she woke up
inside this cage. She fought to breathe past the tightness in her
chest, waiting for the infection to swarm the beast.
Yet the wolf showed no fear. It took Raven a few seconds to
realize she was fine, and she marveled at the knowledge that they
could coexist.
She’d become used to the constant struggle.
But she wasn’t sure she trusted this new development.
Nothing in her life ever went smoothly.
But it gave her hope that the curse wouldn’t hurt her pack either.
Unfortunately, the constant ache to scratch off her skin didn’t
abate with the rise of her magic. The sensation felt like her wolf was
urging her to shift, which was impossible. She’d been warned that if
she ever tried, she would die horribly as the multiple animals at her
core tore her apart.
Raven was absurdly glad that she hadn’t lost contact with the
other animals. Her wolf had pushed forward in order to protect her
secret from their captors. Raven wasn’t sure why the magic obeyed,
but she was grateful, if a little bit leery of its easy capitulations.
As the women approached, the wolf charged forward and the
urge to rip them apart became so overwhelming, claws ripped
through the tips of her fingers.
Both women came to a stop in front of her cell, doing nothing
more than observing her, as if she was an exotic pet at a zoo. But
Raven noticed the stiff way they held their bodies, how they were
angled away from each other.
While the two women might be working together, they clearly
didn’t get along. Most paranormals stuck to their own species for a
reason, and many were known to be vindictive and deadly when
crossed.
Even with the barrier separating them, she could smell the sharp
spice wafting off the vampire, but what caught her attention was the
bitterly sweet stink of magic from the witch…the same magic that
had created the spells in her cell.
 “You don’t look like much.” The vampire’s voice was husky and
melodious, resonating in Raven’s chest. Then her lips curled,
revealing sharp fangs. “You smell like dog.”
“I say we trade her for the money.” The green eyes of the witch
shifted nervously, never resting on anything longer than a few
seconds. “Take the guaranteed payoff.”
“She’s a mutt. Her place is to serve.” The vampire pursed her
lips, but her eyes remained shrewd. “She’s worth more alive. I want
out of this hellhole, and she’s the key. She’s making waves in the
supernatural world and somehow managed to gain influence with
the ParaConsulate. I want that influence, and she’s going to get it
for me.”
“This is not the way to go about it, Lucinda.” Gavin pushed away
from the wall and prowled toward the edge of his cage. “People fear
her for a reason. You move against her, and you’ll regret it.”
Lucinda’s pale face was as unmoving as a marble statue, then
she threw back her head and laughed, braying like a pack of jackals.
“Come now, Gavin. You’ll be a good match for her, and you’re good
enough in bed to keep her sated. You didn’t really think being my
lover would make me change my mind, did you?”
“We’ve been over for months, neither of us any more than a
passing fancy to each other, and you know it.” He shook his head, as
if defeated, but ready tension showed in every line of his body. “I’m
trying to save your life.”
Gavin’s hostility was gone, his bluish grey eyes appearing almost
concerned when he looked at Raven. But she wasn’t foolish enough
to believe he cared. No, he was trying to protect his prize. He just
didn’t know how right he was.
Lucinda turned, her brown eyes calculating when they landed on
Raven. There was nothing remotely human remaining. “You’re
concerned for her.” She appeared surprised, her gaze assessing while
she scanned Raven up and down, her mouth curling slightly in
contempt. “Pity. You’ll get over it soon enough.”
Raven could feel the fever building under her skin again, her wolf
making her susceptible. She raked her fingers over her arms, trying
to alleviate the ache, uncaring of the welts her claws scored into her
flesh. As if hearing her plea, the wolf bowed low, retreating, and
Raven’s power lurched forward, the need to destroy increased as
magic surged once more in her veins.
Lucinda neared, a sneer curling her mouth as if she smelled
something nasty, completely unaware of the increasing danger.
“Don’t worry, little one. The pain will be over soon.”
Power burrowed into Raven’s flesh, its demand to be released
almost overwhelming. Her skin warmed and tingled, the magic trying
to force her hand. The burn of delicious magic was seductive, urging
her to wreak destruction, but Raven would not submit.
She would not become addicted to the power.
She would not be subservient.
As if sensing her need to do violence, her hand tingled, and she
could almost feel the hilt of her sword against her palm.
Taking the sword’s presence as a sign, Raven gathered the
humming magic and flung it at the cell door. The barricade rippled,
the purple quickly consuming the remaining magic. The vampire
appeared unconcerned at the change, but the witch quickly
retreated, tripping over small chunks of broken cement as she
staggered away.
“Something’s wrong.” The witch’s high-pitched squeak quivered
in panic. “She’s trying to escape.”
A furrow appeared between Lucinda’s brows, and she snarled,
“Then strengthen your spells.”
The witch brought up her hands and began chanting. Magic
swirled in the tunnels like an invisible wind.
Raven’s palms prickled again, and the urge to call for her sword
became irresistible.
So she stopped fighting the compulsion, and curled her hand into
a fist. Claws vanished as the hilt struck her palm, and the urge to kill
surged. Instead of red magic, purple fire spilled down the blade.
The witch quaked, her eyes locked on the weapon, and her spell
fractured in an explosion of glittery dust. The witch violently shook
her head and scrambled to get away, her eyes wide with stark terror.
“She’s a Prime. She’s going to kill us all.”
 Raven watched her scurry off, the need to hunt digging its claws
into her spine, and her wolf gave a rumbling growl, wanting to give
chase. To her shock, the purple magic swirled around her wolf,
ruffling her fur, but didn’t attack.
Her wolf crept forward, pawing carefully at the magic.
Never before had her magic and her animal been aware at the
same time, and she half expected a trap to slam shut on her foot.
Magic and shifters didn’t mix.
The two opposite sides of her soul had always threatened to tear
her apart in the past, but the new blended magic was different. For
once the warring factions seemed to be in perfect accord, with one
goal in mind…her protection.
Lucinda snarled before the witch took more than a few steps,
slamming the shorter woman against the tunnel walls, dirt and
cement dust raining down on them. “You will hold that barrier.”
She peeled the witch off the wall, swung her around, the tips of
the witch’s feet barely dragging across the floor.
Raven gave into the mad urge to rip Lucinda’s head off and
lunged. Her power wrapped around her seconds before she
slammed into the barrier. Pure magic flashed in her cell and swirled
in the air at the impact. Her muscles strained as she struggled to
break the last of the sigils. A cruel, pleased smile stole across
Lucinda’s face, then began to fade when Raven didn’t hit the floor
writhing in pain.
A slight glow rose from the barrier, shimmering a deep purple,
and the magic flowed through Raven instead of trying to drown her
under the waves. She brought up her sword, thrusting it through the
center of the barrier. The sound of glass shattering announced the
spell’s destruction, and the barricade fell.
Without missing a beat, Lucinda flung the witch at her and took
off down the tunnel in a streak of black smoke.
Raven spun, taking a glancing blow to her shoulder when the
witch flailed, her knee connecting hard enough to make Raven
stagger. Raven thrust out her arm, shoving the witch aside, and the
woman landed with a sickening thud.
The distraction gave Lucinda few seconds’ head start.
 “Stop!” Ignoring Gavin’s shout, Raven charged after Lucinda, her
wolf surging forward to give her a burst of speed to match the
vampire.
As if sensing Raven was gaining on her, Lucinda whirled, her
fangs bared.
Raven didn’t hesitate, she leapt the distance between them and
brought down her sword.
The metal bit deep, decapitating the vampire with one swipe.
The scent of blood filled the air as the body collapsed, the head
thumping to the floor a millisecond later, rolling to a stop at Raven’s
feet. The sword warmed in her grip, as if starved for the taste of
more blood.
“Raven!”
She jerked at the sound of her name and turned, her brain taking
a few seconds to process that they were still in the tunnels. She
hauled herself back from the delicious edge of bloodlust, the
murderous rage slow to release its grip on her, until the blade finally
cooled in her hand.
Raven found herself drawn back toward Gavin. His eyes dropped
to her blade, watching the blood drip off its tip, before he tore his
attention away to resolutely meet her gaze. He remained safely
ensconced behind the barrier. She could leave him. If he saved other
people from the murder list, surely he could save himself.
She needed to get back to her pack.
He would only get in the way.
“Don’t even think about leaving without me.” His words were
nothing more than a growl, but she sensed a thread of near-panic
underneath and didn’t think it had anything to do with being trapped
in a cage.
“Why trouble yourself with me? You can be safe. Free.” Raven
didn’t understand.
“Let me out.” It was a demand. “You won’t be able to find your
way out of the tunnels without me. Not in time. They already know
you killed Lucinda. Any second now they’re going to be hunting for
you. You’ll never make it without being captured.”
 Raven debated for all of two seconds, then lifted her sword and
brought it down against the barrier. The shattering of glass echoed
down the tunnel as the spell broke, the static of magic faded, and
Gavin strode boldly across the threshold.
Unable to stop herself, she lifted the sword and fell into a fighting
stance.
Gavin studied her, unmoving, waiting for her to decide his fate.
As if his warning triggered them, a series of deep-chested howls
echoed down the tunnel.
“The hunt has begun.” Yet Gavin didn’t move, calmly waiting for
her decision. “Shall we go?”
Reluctantly, Raven released the sword. Instead of clanging to the
floor, it vanished midair. Gavin stared at her a second longer, and
Raven shrugged. “The sword is one of a few magical weapons the
witches created to police their own. They’re usually reserved for a
special few…those the sword deems worthy.”
“And it selected you.” He didn’t sound surprised.
Raven shrugged.
“What’s so special about the blade?” His eyes dropped
betrayingly to her hand, suspicion darkening his eyes.
“It consumes magic.”
He sucked in a startled breath, maybe just realizing the
significance. The paranormal community was battling with unrest. If
the three factions ever went to war, the sword would be priceless.
A scuffling sound came from behind him, and Gavin whirled,
lunging for the witch. He grabbed her by the throat, his eyes turning
yellow as his wolf rose to the surface.
“Wait. I’m innocent.” The witch managed to cower despite being
lifted clear off the ground and hauled forward. “I’m as much a
prisoner as you.”
The stench of her words burned Raven’s nose, and her lips curled
back into a snarl. “You lie.”
Magic rose, almost painful in its intensity, irritating her already
sensitive skin. Raven lunged forward to stop the spell the witch
began chanting, but Gavin beat her to it. He calmly broke the
woman’s neck, then let the body hit the ground, not even blinking at
taking a life.
Another howl came down the tunnel, closer this time, and Gavin
raised an eyebrow. “We need to leave. Now. In another minute we’ll
be surrounded.”
 CHAPTER THREE

R aven studied G avin a second longer , noting the tension in his frame,
as if he expected her to abandon him to a fate worse than death by
giving him his freedom. Casper wanted him protected for a reason,
making her promise to try.
Though she wasn’t sure she trusted Gavin, she couldn’t force
herself to turn her back on him either. She wasn’t sure he would
survive on his own. “Which way?”
He studied her for a heartbeat, as if expecting a trick, then gave
a sharp nod and strode quickly down the tracks, calmly stepping
over what remained of the vampire and onetime lover. The body had
withered away into a dried husk, the flesh flaking like ash. Raven
suspected a strong gust of wind from the next train that barreled
past would carry off what little remained.
Skirting around the remains, Raven was surprised she didn’t feel
any remorse.
With the sword gone, she waited for the power thrumming in her
veins to settle—the magic should’ve faded when the witch died.
Instead, the spell continued to affect her on a deeper level.
As if she’d truly been cursed.
She bit her lip while she watched Gavin, disturbed by the way her
wolf lingered at the back of her mind, as if stalking him. The beast
was territorial, disliked having him so close. Raven rubbed her arm
absently, but it did nothing to relieve the ache building under her
skin. Instead of mating heat, it was the need to kill.
 Her wolf knew Gavin wasn’t mating material and wanted him
gone.
She kept a tight leash on her magic, waiting for it to lash out and
infect him, but her power appeared to have no interest in him either.
She nearly sagged in relief.
More proof that her men wouldn’t be in danger, and the ache at
the back of her throat lessened.
She just needing to stay alive long enough to reach them.
“Once we reach topside, how many people can we expect to give
chase?”
Gavin didn’t spare her a glance, not even slowing his stride. “No
shifter would dare kill you. It goes against their every instinct to
harm a female, much less an alpha. A few rogues might want to
capture you, claim you for their own, but none would dare harm
you.”
“That leaves the vampires and the magic casters.”
His shrug was noncommittal, and Raven stumbled to a stop when
only one alternative remained. “Humans.”
A spike of fear curdled her insides while gruesome images of the
dissected bodies in the labs flashed through her mind. She could
deal with the violence and quick tempers of the paranormal races. It
was the humans who thought they had the right to rule the world
who worried her—they would never stop hunting her in their quest
for power.
Defeat a paranormal in battle, they respected you.
Defeat a human and you became a threat, a pest to be
eradicated.
As if sensing she was no longer following him, Gavin stopped.
“We don’t have time to discuss this right now.”
He knew something.
She was sure of it.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
He heaved a sigh and rubbed a hand down his face. “Many
believe you’re a queen, but not everyone wants to be ruled. They
love their power too much. War is coming. The only thing that’s
unknown is whether the paranormals will survive this time.”
Another random document with
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The Project Gutenberg eBook of Runoja
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Title: Runoja

Author: Lars Stenbäck

Translator: Yrjö Weijola

Release date: September 21, 2023 [eBook #71697]

Language: Finnish

Original publication: Helsinki: Otava, 1900

Credits: Juhani Kärkkäinen and Tapio Riikonen

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUNOJA ***

RUNOJA

Kirj.

Lars Stenbäck

Suomentanut

Yrjö Weijola

Helsingissä, Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 1900.

SISÄLLYS.
I.

Kirje ystävälleni.
Anna.
Lemmikki.
Aamutervehdys.
G. F. J. Adlercreutz.
Rakkaus.
Aamunkoitto.
Meri.
Runebergille.
Matkamuistelmia:
1. Hyvästi.
2. Tukholma.
3. Tervehdys Upsalalle.
4. Skon luostari.
Katkelmia.
Eräs yö.
Tyttö.
Sanat Maisterinvihkiäisissä 1836.
Ylioppilas-laulu.
H. G. Porthanin muistojuhlassa.
Mun oma Suomenmaani.
Tähti.
Juhana Vilhelm Snellmanille.

II.

Öisiä säveleitä:
1. Juomingit.
2. Huokaus.
3. Murheelle.
4. Hyvää yötä.
5. Katumus.
Aamu.
Sointuja.
Tytön rukous.
Heränneen huokaus.
Pois pelkosi!
Johannes.
Keväthuokaus.
Sentään.
Eräs päivä.
Radegundis.
Beeda.
Kevätaamu.
Lyydian kehtolaulu.
Sureva ystävä.
Kuoleman kuvia.
Lutherin Postillaan.
Oi tokkohan?
Hyvästi.
Uudenvuoden-laulu.
Luontokappalten huokaus.
Lähetyslaulu.
Iltarukous.
Epiloogi.

LIITE.

Rukouksia ensi kertaa käydessäni Herran ehtoollisella.

Suomi hädässä.
Kysymyksiä.
Psalmi.
Vastaus vanhalle Puutarhurille.
Jälkilause.

Mä olin häkkiin koonnut lintusia;

Niit' yksikseni aioin holhoella
 Ja tarkoin piskuisia puolustella
Niin vastaan viimaa kuin myös huuhkaimia.
Mut luonnon raitis elo mieless' aina
Mun luotani ne pyysi poijes lentää.
Ne tahtoi lehdon siimeksehen entää,
Miss' laulut vapaat kaikui riemukkaina.
Kun kerran taas loi päivä säteheitä.
Ja kirkkahana hohti joka loukko,
Ne kysyi: "Vieläkö sä pidät meitä?"
Mä silloin närkästyin ja virkoin, houkko:
"En jaksa enkä viitsi nähdä teitä;
Siis lähde joutuin lentoon, kurja joukko!"

I.

Kirje ystävälleni.

Linnut laulelevat, ja mielellä lempijän nuoren

Nousevi aurinko taas öiseltä vuoteheltaan;
Katsovi loistavin silmin ja tervehtii hymyellen
Vuoria, laaksoja maan, riemua, minuakin.
Oi ken saattaiskaan valon loistossa synkkänä vaiti
Miettiä murheissaan päivän vaivoja vaan?
Kaikki, mi ilmassa on sekä kaikki mi liikkuvi maassa
Herännyt nauttimahan on elon hehkumataan.
Kirjat nurkkahan nyt, väkiviisahat, mahtavat, paksut;
Unta on viisaus tuo, usvana haihtuu se pois.
Mutta mun katsettain elo, aamu ja aurinko kohtaa,
Aamu ja aurinko vaan, kunne ma silmäni luon.
Suo mun riemuita siis! Kuin joutsen pinnalla lahden
Niin minun sieluni myös riemussa, onnessa ui;
Rintani käy kepeäks, sydän elämän onnea uhkuin
Lämmin ja ylpeä on, tulta ja tarmoa täys.
Sykkiös polttava, kohta jo riutuva rinta, kun vielä
Riemu ja ystävät kaikk', onni ja laulu on sun!

Terve! kun aamuisin elo unten usvasta herää,

Herää uutena taas riemuni rinnassa mun.
Tuota mun enkeliäin oi säästäkää, aattehet maiset,
Jotka niin hiljalleen jäähän peitätte sen
Kaiken, mi noin sulosilmässään kuvan taivahan kantaa,
Kaiken mi katsehen luo maahan ja taivohonkin.
Tietää en tahdo, mit' on se, sill' et jumalallista, pyhää
Kaikkea ymmärtää järkeni kurja sä voi.
Mut kuni kukkasenkin salakätkössä piilevi tuoksu,
Piilköhön mullakin niin taivahan tunnelma tuo!
Lapsi jos ain' olisin, niin rinnassa riemukin aina,
Vieras taivahien, kernaasti viihtyä vois.

Terve! kun aamuisin elo unten usvasta herää,

Herää rinnassa mun ystävän kaihoni myös.
Kaunis oot sinä maa, niin kaunis on kukkiva otsas,
Lempivä aavistus hehkuvi rinnassa mun;
Mut tuo kuollutt' on kaikki, on pois elähyttävä paiste,
Ellei vierellä mun lemmitty ystävä oo;
Lemmitty ystävä, ken mun riemuni jakaa ja silmin
Hellin ja uskollisin katsovi silmihin mun.
Oi, ken ei halajais elon kaltaat kalseat heittää,
Syöksyä onnessaan sylihin ystävän niin?
Oi, ken saattaiskaan elon pitkät puhtehet kestää
Yksin piirissä maan, yksin usvissa yön?
Kun sinä Luojani loit noin rintani lempeä täyteen,
Myös ikirunsahan soit riemun sa kaihoavan,
Niin sinun maailmaas, elämää sen lempiä tahdon,
Joukossa ihmisien toimia, minkä ma voin;
Uskollisna ma siis ilomielin ja luottaen riennän
Sieluni lemmityn nyt syliini sulkemahan,
Puristan kättä ja lämmitän rintaa ja värjyvin äänin
Kuiskaan korvahan sen: ystävä, kaikkeni saat!
— Vaikk' kiven ois kova hän tai kylmä kuin talvinen hanki,
Rintansa rinnasta mun pehmenis, lämpeniskin;
Niin kuin Pygmalion elonvoimalla lempensä liekin
Marmoripatsaaseen tuntehen, elämän loi.
Ah, miks haastelen noin sulo-onnesta, rakkaudesta
Niin kuni sopertelee lapsonen uupumaton?
Jos sinut vaan minä nään, jos suoriin silmihis katson,
Kaikkipa kalveten taas sortuvi tuhkaksi maan.
Taistella tahdomme ain' sen eestä, mi totta ja hyvää,
Taistella, ystävä oi, toimia, kuollakin myös!

Terve! kun aamuisin elo unten usvasta herää,

Herää laulukin myös hetkeksi helkkymähän.
Mut vähä-arvoist' on toki laulujen haihtuva leikki,
Pientä ja turhaa on lapsen se riemua vaan;
Aattehen miehentyöt, vakavuus syvän, miettivän mielen
Kuuluu miehelle, min luontona on vakavuus.
Joskus mietin mä näin; mut pois, pois haltijat mustat,
Jotka mun Eedenihin' tungette turmioks sen!
Enkö mä onnekas oo? Elon' on kevätpäivyen kirkas,
Kun runon aurinko sen kultahan, loistohon luo!
Enkö mä riemuiten satumailla mun syömmeni viihdy,
Sinnehän kaihoni käy, sinnehän tieni on sees;
Lapsena riemuiten, kuninkaana, mi vallassa istuin
Katsovi ylpeillen maita ja maisemiaan?
Oi, joka ihmissielussa on runolempi, hän vaikka
Ei sitä tiedäkkään, ei sitä aattelekaan.
Kaikki, mi sieluhun luo kevätpäivän paistetta, kaikki,
Mist' elo maireheks käy tai povi paisuelee,
Kaikki se on runoutta, sit' ilman ois elo harmaa,
Mut sitä kaikkiall' on, niin kuni päivyttä on.

Laulun laulanut oon minä auerhetkenä aamun,

Kunnes aurinko on noussut loistava taas.
Riemu ja Laulu ja Rakkaus on sisaruksia aamun,
Loistossa viihtyy ne sen, sammua voi kera sen.
Kunnes harhaillen ne rinnasta haihtuvat, suokoot
Rauhaa, viileyttään, ystävä, sullekin myös.
Hetken tuutia sai mua laulun sointuvat laineet,
Tuutios niillä sä myös huoleti tuokio niin;
Solminut seppelen oon, min kohta jo kukkaset kuihtuu,
Ennenkuin kuihtuvat ne, ystävä, sulle sen suon.
Anna.

Miksi kiedoit kätes kaulahain?

Miksi suudelman niin hellän sain?
Miksi ryöstit rauhan
Sekä rakkauden rinnastain?

Korkeammalle mä tavoitin
Kuin sun suudelmiin ja sylihin;
Uljaamp' oli toimi,
Jonka nuorin voimin aavistin.

Lemmen ansio niin heikko on,

Lemmen haave kurja, arvoton.
Tuhlata en tahdo
Elämääni uneen onttohon.

Katso, miestä kutsuu maineen tie,

Aina avoin hälle, missä lie;
Vihdoin laaker'kruunun
Vapaana hän voittonansa vie.

Uljas into rinnan rohkaistun!

Ollos sä vaan perintönä mun,
Niin mä hiljaan heitän
Rakkauden sulo haaveilun. —

Ei, oi tullos jälleen luokseni

Hurjan rintain armas toveri!
Korkeint' aavistustain
Olet sinä aina korkeempi.
 Silmäs ruskeathan säihkyää
Kaikelle, mik' eloss' ylevää!
Otsas puhtaudessaan
Lailla sinitaivaan välkähtää!

Sin' oot sielu nuoren elämäin;

Vahvista siis, nosta henkeäin!
Tähti olet mulle;
Yö ja usvat aja mielestäin!

Lapsuuslempi, nuoruusmorsian,
Suo mun kuulla huultes puhuvan;
Oi! Se mulle soi kuin
Unhoitettu käsky Jumalan.

Lemmikki.

[Kukka, jonka nimi ruotsiksi on "Förgät mig ej" s.o.

"Ällös unhoita minua".]

Vaikk' olen pieni kukka vain,

Niin toimen autuaan mä sain:
On hoidossani lempi.
Kun moni hylkää armahan,
Mä silloin hälle muistutan,
Kuin ennen muinoin lempi hän,
Ja armas häntä hempi.
 On toivon väri mulla; ja
Kun armas eroo armaasta
Suon lohdun murheesensa.
Heill' on vain yksi rukous,
Heill' on vain yksi toivomus;
Mun tulkitsemaan tunteitaan
Suo armas armaallensa.

Kun joskus armas kysyy näin:

"Oi mitä miettii ystäväin,
Viel' elääkö hän mulle?"
Niin rinnall' armaan lempivän
Mä kuiskaan toivon lämpimän:
Mua katso, uskollisin, vain,
Mä lausunhan sen sulle.

Mut kun hän päivät kauttaaltaan

Odottanut on pelvoissaan
Ja turhaan armastansa;
Kun silmän kastaa kyynele,
Mi vuotaa toivon haudalle,
Niin jälleen toivon sytytän
Mä hänen rintahansa.

Aamutervehdys.

Oi terve taivas, terve maa, mi nyt

Säteilet kainon morsiamen lailla!
Ma nään, kuin sykkii poves lämminnyt;
Häälaulus kuulen hattaroiden mailla.
Taas sydän elpyy ja tuo pitkä kaipuu
Kuin talven hanget kevään tullen haipuu.
Kas, muistot armaat aikain mennehitten
Nään aamu-autereessa väikkyvän.- —
Oi tullos, tullos ystävän'!

Kun päivyt nousi neitsytvuoteeltaan,

Tuo kultakutri, niin kuin nyt, ja paloi
Eloa, nuoruutta, ja tuoksujaan
Tuhannet kukat kunniaks sen valoi;
Kun elon tenho tuli meille ilmin
Ja meitä kahta katsoi kirkkain silmin;
Niin silloin käsityksin seistiin kerran
Helossa aamun poskin hehkuisin
Ja silmin tulta, säihkyvin.

Kuin mainetöistä silloin haaveiltiin!

Kuin hehkui sielu, sykki sydän siellä!
Vakaasti vannoimme me kaksi niin
Kaikk' ilot, surut jakaa elon tiellä.
Oi, suloist' on, kun silmät rakkaat loistaa
Ja omat toiveet kaksinkerroin toistaa,
Ja elon suuri temppeli on auki;
Oi rohkeus, oi riemu! tarmo, työ,
Mist' ytimet ja suonet lyö!

Sä kevään tuuli lämmin, vapaa ain',

Hajoita mielest' usvapilvet multa!
Jo miehuus, lämpö herää rinnassain
Ja sinne koittaa kirkas päivän kulta.
Voit, kevät, mulle entisriemut antaa;
Kuin ennen vuorelta taas aamunrantaa
Mä tervehdin ja katson päivää uutta.
Niin täynnä elonintoa se on
Ja kultasäteit' auringon!

G. F. J. Adlercreutz.

Päivyt loistaen
Katsoo hymyillen
Yli meren, maan.
Murtunut vaan rinta
On, kun rakkahinta
Itken ystävätä haudallaan.

Lapsuus-laaksomme
Kun oi' linnamme,
Rauhan rakas maa;
Turvana sa mulle
Turvana ma sulle
Elon tahdoimme me alottaa.

Miehuus, toivo kun

Veress' uhkui sun,
Mieles suuriin nous;
Oi, juur' silloin valoon
Taivaan tähtitaloon
Herran luo sun nuori henkes nous.
 Kuollut? ystäväin
Ainoo, ja mä jäin,
Ainoo, armahin!
Kuollut — kylmä multa
Nytkö henkes tulta
Sammuttaa, mi äsken hehkui niin?

Siteet rakkahat
Kaikki katkeevat;
Herra elää vaan.
Kun kaikk' ystävämme
Katoo viereltämme,
Oi, ken yksin jäädä tahtoiskaan?

Rakkaus.

Niin kuin yössä rämisten

Katkes kieli kantelen
Äkkiä, ja ääni särkyi
Valittain ja vaikeni;
Niinpä käsi salainen
Katkoi lemmen sitehen,
Joka minun sisimpäni
Sinuun, armas, kahlehti.

Katson vaiti kaiholla

Sijaa tyhjää, kallista,
Missä lempen' loistoss' eli
Kerran kirkas kuva sun.
Kun ma kautta kyynelveen
Katson haudan tyhjyyteen,
Tuskan äärettömän huokaus
Tunkee kautta rinnan mun.

Yhä vielä mulle näyt,

Yhä vieressäni käyt
Niin kuin ennen, mutta haamu
Oot vain aikain entisten.
Kuollut! äänin kaihokkain
Tunne huutaa rinnassain;
Mutta silmissäni elät,
Niinkuin ennen, eellehen.

Rakastaa vai vihata

Tuota kuvaa tuttua?
Itkeekö vai nauttii sydän
Unest' havahduttuaan?
Saitko siis sa multa vain
Elos tuon, mun tuntemain?
Vihassako siitä kuolit
Elääkses nyt muille vain?

Kaikist’ antimista maan

Rakkaus on parhain vaan,
Niinhän sille riemahdellen
Ihmislasten laulu soi.
Että lempi kurjan maan,
Murhaa, valhetta on vaan,
Jonka heelmä ain' on tuska —
Haa! kuink' ymmärtää sen voi?
Aamunkoitto.

Niinkuin kuningatar vertaa vailla

Kuuhut loisti taivaan tähtimailla
Neitseellisnä hohtain, hymyillen.
Kummut hopeaisen hohdon loivat;
Laakson kukat hiljaa unelmoivat,
Autuaina lapsen lailla, taivaan
Riemuista ja leikeist' enkelten.

Haaveidensa kuutamoiseen kehtoon

Sielu lensi unelmainsa lehtoon,
Loistoon ihmehien tuhanten.
Ja kun nukkui maa, kun tähdet lensi,
Kuvat kauniit kaukaa rintaan ensi
Niinkuin siskot, satuja ne kertoi
Kultamaastaan päältä pilvien.

Mutta luona puron hopeaisen,

Alla koivukummun varjoovaisen
Mökki yksin laakson rauhass' on.
Näytti niin, kuin luonto sen ois luonut,
Kaunistukseks hiljaisuuteen suonut
Maiseman, ja kuuhut kirkkain sätein
Leikki lehväsillä koivikon.

Siellä hiipi aamun auvetessa,

Lännen tuulen vielä nukkuessa
Aksel alle armaan ikkunan.
Seisahtui ja viipyi seinämällä;
Mutta vaiti viel' on kaikki hällä.
Hiljaa löi hän ruutuun kerran, kaksi,
Lausui tervehdykseks armahan:

"Aune, Aune, nouse vuoteeltasi;

Tullos, tullos luo sun armahasi,
Morsioni, toivo sydämein!
Nähdä suo, kuin hellä silmäs päilyy,
Nähdä suo, kuin tummat kutris häilyy
Hulmuellen yli otsas puhtaan.
Tullos nuori, kaunis ruususein!

Äsken näin ma kyyhkyn viattoman

Luoksein liitävän niin sulosoman,
Ja se laskeutui mun jalkoihin.
Sen kun näin, kun sitä katsoin minä,
Hurskas lintu olit armas sinä.
Oi, mut kaikki, kaikki, vaan oi' unta,
Pois se lensi, ah, sen kadotin.

Miksi sykit niin sä hurja rinta?

Riemua vai tuskaa katkerinta
On, mi sydän raukkaa ahdistaa?
Kaunis maa, oot sama ajan mennen;
Konsaan huomannut en sentään ennen
Aunen majan luona lämpimätä
Liekkiä, jot' uhkuu taivas, maa.

Aune, Aune, nouse vuoteeltasi,

Tullos, tullos luo sun armahasi,
Morsioni, toivo sydämen'!
Peippoin virttä lehdot, laaksot kaikuu,
Leivo lentää, ilman ääret raikuu,